UK managers' conceptions of employee training and development

Abstract

Purpose: Firstly to review the practical and theoretical distinctions between training and development in the organisational psychology and HRD literatures. Secondly to investigate how managers responsible for the training and development function conceptualise these activities in practice, the factors which guide their decision making, how they evaluate the outcomes and the extent they perceive a relationship between training and development.Design/methodology/approach: Taking a critical realist perspective 26 interviews with UK managers were conducted and analysed through thematic coding using Template Analysis.Findings: Managers conceptualisations of training and development vary. Formal training is prioritised due to a perceived more tangible demonstrable return on investment. Perceived success in training focuses on improvements to job related skills whereas success outcomes for development are more varied and difficult to measure. Managers consider training and development more valuable when combined. Implications for research:There is a need for further process driven research to understand the interrelationship between training and development and to develop methods that can be used by organisations to evaluate both. This necessitates going beyond methods currently in use and include both qualitative and quantitative measures.2 Implications for practice: Managers may take a more proactive and directive role in facilitating development than the literature suggests, consequently their role needs to be more actively considered in HRD learning strategies.Originality/value: This is one of the first qualitative studies to explore the conceptualisations of managers responsible for training and development, highlighting the interrelationship between training and development and the factors guiding decisions regarding these activities.Key words: training, development, managers, decision making, evaluation of success, Template Analysis.Categorization: research paper. 3 UK managers' conceptions of employee training and development IntroductionThere has long been a belief that investment in employee training and development has benefits for the organisation and for its workforce (Salas and Cannon-Bowers 2001;Sloman, 2003), some form of training being offered by nearly all organisations (Cannell, 2004). However, with the move from traditional formal training activities to on-going and future-oriented development there has been a shift in how such activities are used (e.g. Maurer et al., 2003). A continuously changing work environment has made cyclical training necessary (Buckley and Caple, 2007), on-the-job training being considered most effective, only a fifth of UK managers believing that formal courses are the most effective method (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2007). Self-initiated training and development, initiated by the learner, has also increased in importance, particularly in the context of so-called 'new' or 'boundaryless careers' (Arthur and Rousseau 1996) characterised by ...

The Impact of Training and Development on Employee Performance and Effectiveness: A Case Study of District Five Administration Office, Bole Sub-City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

“…McDowall et al (2010) argue that the recognition of the importance of training in recent years has been heavily influenced by the intensification of competition and the relative success of organizations where investment in employee development is considerably emphasized [5]. They add that technological developments and organizational change have gradually led some employers to the realization that success relies on the skills and abilities of their employees, and this means considerable and continuous investment in training and development [16] [17].…”

“…If employees are to experience flexibility and effectiveness on the job, they need to acquire and develop knowledge and skills, and if they are to believe that they are valued by the organization they work for, then they need to see visible signs of management's commitment to their training and career needs [5]. Training and development are the processes of investing in people so that they are equipped to perform well.…”

“…Training and development are the processes of investing in people so that they are equipped to perform well. These processes are part of an overall human resource management approach that hopefully will result in people being motivated to perform [5] [6].…”

Dealing with reviewers’ comments in the publication process

“…If a reviewer recommends a particular action, for example: 'You might like to look at work by McDowall and Saunders (2010) …', you need to look at this article and if it is appropriate to your manuscript, include it. Likewise the reviewer comment: 'It would be instructive to include more …' should be interpreted as 'you should include more …' Comments to aid clarity and enable replicability such as: 'spell out abbreviated names in full the first time they are used' and 'please provide the full source of the scale used to measure …' should invariably be acted upon.…”

Executive’s Perception on the Outcomes of In-House and Outdoor Training Programmes

“…The training programs are perceived as more successful as it focuses more on improving the job related skills and also the return on investment is more visible in formal training programs hence they are given priority (McDowall & Saunders, 2010). Training exercises should be tied to business objectives with the classes customized to concentrate on the job-specific skills required to meet objectives, The entire program should also be geared to words career development and provide for employee feedback (Armstrong et al, 1996).…”